This Kale Almond Pesto makes a wonderful alternative to traditional basil pesto plus it’s cheaper to make & it’s dairy free. Stir through freshly cooked pasta for a super fast & nutritious meal!
This recipe for Kale Almond Pesto was originally posted in April last year, a week or two after I started my website. I have been making it regularly since then and it has evolved a little for the better over time. I decided that I should update this post to reflect that and also retake the photos because, quite frankly, the original ones were absolutely terrible! My photography, although still not perfect, has improved considerably since my early days shooting with just my phone and I really wanted to do this delicious pesto justice by making it look a lot more attractive than it did in my earlier photos! (You can see one of the original photos at the very end of this post if you want to compare!)
Kale seems to be one of those things that you either love or hate. I love it and really enjoy the distinct flavour of this delicious pesto. It combines fresh kale, garlic, a little nutritional yeast, olive oil and almonds and takes minutes to make.
It is fabulous stirred through freshly cooked pasta but also works really well in my Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad, on pizza, in sandwiches/wraps and is amazing on a baked sweet potato with cashew cheese.
See how easy it is to make in this short video:
I love this pesto with Spelt Lumache Pasta from the Cowichan Pasta Company. Cowichan Pasta is the first pasta company in Canada making stone ground pasta with ancient grains such as Spelt, Emmer, Khorasan and Red Fife that is stored in whole kernel form, and then milled fresh with a grind that maintains more of the fibre portion of the wheat than over processed grains. It is made just an hour or so from my home and is a truly wonderful pasta. If you are in BC it is readily available in a lot of stores or you can buy it online via their website.
This Kale Almond Pesto is deep green with flecks of chunky, crunchy almonds. It tastes great freshly made but tastes even better after a few days in the fridge. I store it in a little mason jar and it is then ready for a quick meal at the drop of a hat. It also freezes very well.
This recipe didn’t get a lot of love the first time round because it was published so soon after starting my blog and I only had about two readers at the time! Ha ha! It’s amazing to think how far I have come in that time and it won’t be long until I am celebrating my one year blogoversary. I think a massive squidgy birthday cake recipe might be in order, don’t you?
I hope you enjoy my Kale & Almond Pesto. Leave your feedback below and share your pictures on my Facebook page, Twitter or Instagram. I am @avirtualvegan on Instagram and Twitter.
Kale Almond Pesto
This Kale Almond Pesto makes a wonderful alternative to traditional basil pesto plus it's cheaper to make & it's dairy free. Stir through freshly cooked pasta for a super fast & nutritious meal!
Ingredients
- 7-8 medium Kale Leaves
- 5 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (if you prefer not to use oil you can sub this for water but you won't get quite as good a consistency or flavour)
- 3 large Garlic Cloves (add more or less depending on how much you like)
- 4 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
- 70g | 1/2 Cup Raw Almonds
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Wash the kale and strip the leafy parts from the stems. Discard your stems or save them in a bag in the freezer with other veggie trimmings to make your own homemade veggie stock.
- Add the kale, olive oil, garlic nutritional yeast and roughly half of the almonds to a food processor or blender and process until smooth,
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the remaining almonds and pulse until they are chopped but not too small. We want the nutty chunky texture in there.
Recipe Notes
Use immediately or keep in a jar in the fridge for up to a week. It also freezes well. If it becomes a little dry just add a few drop of water or some olive oil to dilute it slightly,
Disclaimer: I was not asked to endorse the Cowichan Pasta Company. Their products are ones I love and use myself. I think it is extremely important to support local businesses hence the link to their product/site. I am not affiliated with them in any way and I aim to only ever share products in which I truly believe and trust.
The Old Picture….
Betsy says
Can’t wait to try it! I’ve tried several of your recipes and they’ve all been a hit!
A Virtual Vegan says
I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes Betsy! I hope you enjoy the pesto too :O)
Allie says
Would you be able to suggest something to replace the olive oil?
A Virtual Vegan says
Olive oil gives it great flavour and a creamy consistency. You could just use water but it will affect the texture and taste. Using something to replace the oily creaminess would be best. I think avocado might work or some cooked white beans. Bear in mind that I haven’t tried doing this myself though but it should work out fine. Hope that helps :0)
Allie says
Thank you so very much! I look forward to trying out this recipe <3
Priua says
I can not tell you in words how exotic this pesto is looking…. So refreshing…..
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much! It makes a lovely meal :0)
diversivore says
Very cool (and very vibrant!) Does the nutritional yeast stand in well for parmesan? I do looooove pesto, but it’d be nice to have a dairy-free version to work with.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you.The green colour is just great isn’t it? It’s never going to taste exactly like parmesan but the nutritional yeast does do a pretty good job of giving a hint of cheesiness.
Jacqueline Rose says
Beautiful photos! I like that you kept both versions to show your progression as a blogger! 🙂
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you!
Cathy Brak says
This looks like a great recipe that I must try. I’m pinning it, too. Good job on the photos! I need to do that, too.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! I have many more that need a face lift too ;0)
Teresa says
This sounds delicious! I love that pesto has moved beyond basil and pine nuts.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! Pine nuts are so expensive here so I try not to use them often!
Flavour and Savour @flavourandsavour.com says
This looks so good, and I have kale in my garden that survived our mild West Coast winter. BTW we’re almost “neighbours” 🙂
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! We are so lucky with weather on the west coast. Are you on the island?
Flavour and Savour @flavourandsavour.com says
Yes, just north of you in Cowichan
A Virtual Vegan says
Pretty close then. Hi ‘nearly’ neighbour!
Redawna says
Wow! I have a huge Kale fan, this pesto looks fabulous. Can’t wait to try it.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! Let me know what you think :0)
janet @ the taste space says
Congratulations, your photography has really improved in such a short time. I can’t wait to have basil growing in my backyard this summer to be able to make this. 🙂
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! And you won’t be needing your basil for this…It’s kale! lol
Patricia says
Hey. Love this. ?
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you!
Strength and Sunshine says
Reshooting recipes that DESERVE the love…feels so good 😉 This pesto totally deserved a second life!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! I have a few more to update. It’s so hard getting the time when you’re constantly trying to create new recipes. I’m sure you know how it feels! Lol